Automatic switch-alarm.



H. DAVIS. I AUTOMATIC SWITGH ALARM.'

Patented Dec. 15,1908

APPLICATION FILED APB.. 16, 1908. 906,778.

2 lHEBTS-SHEBT 2.

@/vihwono HENRY DAVIS, OF ADDY, WASHINGTON.

AUTOMATIC SWITCH-ALARM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 15, 1908.

Application filed April 16, 1908. Serial No. 427,361.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY DAvIs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Addy, in the county of Stevens and State of Washington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Switch-Alarms, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of devices which are intended to automatically indicate, by suitable signaling devices, to the engineer in the cab of a locomotive, the fact that a switch is open toward which he is running.

The invention comprises appliances con-` nected to and for simultaneous operation with the usual switch operating devices and so arranged that when a switch is open a certain portion of the device will be positioned so as to be engaged by an alarm device carried by the locomotive and whereby the latter will signal to the engineer.

One of the special features of the present invention is to provide a means of this class whereby a plurality of independent switch mechanisms may be connected to the same signaling devices, in such a way that any one of the several switches may be operated independently of the connections with the other switches.

For a full understandin of the invention, reference is to be had to tigie following detail description and the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a plan view of the invention shown as applied to a right switch; Fig. 2 is a side view of the major portion of the mechanism of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the bell crank mechanism; Fig. 5 is a perspective of one of the shoes; Figs. 6, 7, and 8 are diagrammatic views of connected switches in various positions, and Fig. 9 is a detail of the alarm carried by the locomotive.

Throughout the detail description and on the several views of the drawings, similar parts are referred to by-like reference characters.

In the drawings a main line of track is indicated at 10, and at 11, 12, and 12 are indicated a plurality of switches leading ofi from the main line. As indicated the several switches are intended to be approached in the direction of the arrow a, it being understood that any number of switches desired may be employed in the system to which this invention may be applied and that devices similar to that disclosed herein would be employed for signaling to the engineer when running in the opposite direction. For convenience of description the switch 11 will be called the left switch, and the switches 12 and 12 will be termed right switches. Each of the switches will be operated by any usual or preferred form of switch operating means 13 including a bar 14 connected to the movable members of the switch. Thus far described, the switch devices are or may be of conventional type.

Located adjacent to each of the switches is a horizontal base plate 15 to which is pivoted a disk 16 for rotation throughout a portion of a circle. A cross head 17 is rigidly connected to the switch bar 14, preferably between the base 15 and the railway track and connected to the cross head and to the disk 16 is a Iitman 18, the arrangement being such that w en the switch bar 14 is moved to open or close the switch the cross head through its pitman 18 will cause rotation of the disk.

Connected to the disk, preferably by a pin and slot connection, is a shoe 19 and connected to said shoe and extending rearwardly parallel with the railway track is a connecting rod 20 connected at its rear extremity to a bell crank 21 journaled in any suitable support 22. The opposite arm of the bell crank 21 is provided with a signal rod 23, which is intended to extend substantially vertical when a switch is open. A spring 24 is connected to the lower member of the bell crank and has a normal tension to cause the signal rod 23 to lie in a horizontal position or out of the path of the member carried bythe locomotive and at which time the rod 22 will be drawn by the spring rearwardly. The rod 22 will be protected by acovering 22 of any suitable character, as will all of the movable parts so far as practicable, for the purpose of rotecting the same from snow and ice. Then the signal rod 23 is elevated it will stand in the path of a crank member 25 carried by the locomotive and suitably connected to a bell or other signaling means 26 so as to cause the latter to give an alarm when a switch is open.

Referring now particularly to the left switch, it will be noted that the pitman 18 is connected to the left margin of the disk 16 so that when the switch is open the Y itman connection will cause rotation of the isk in a counter-clock- Lso wise direction, causing lthe rod 20 to be moved in the direction in which the train vis supposed to be running or toward the right in the drawings. This movement of the switch and parts connected thereto will cause the signal rod 23 to be elevated against the tension of the spring 24. When the switch is again shifted or closed the disk will be returned to normal position and-the spring 24v will return the rod 22 to its normal position.

Each of the disks 16 isprovided with aslot 16. and a plurality of holes 16,2 into any oneof which latter the pitman vmay beconnected. When the device is employed in connection with the right switch the pitman 18 will be connected with the disk on the right margin, or opposite yto that hereinbefore described in connection with the left switch, and whereby when the switch bar is moved to open theswitch the disk 16 will be operated in the same direction asin the previous case, namely, the counterclockwise direction as herein illustrated. It is to be understood in this connection that these several specific statements regarding thel direction of operation and connection are to be considered 1n a relative sense, -andthat the invention is by no means limited to such specific indications. For instance, the Vpitman in the case of a left switch may be connected on the right hand side of the disk and secured to the switch bar on the outside 'instead of on the inside, and various other minor modifications may `be made without departing from the spirit of the invention hereinafter claimed.

When several switches are connected so as to cause operation of the signal means'on the occasion of any one of ythe switches being open, it will be noted that the shoe 19 having pin and slot connection with vthe disk 16 is extended upon opposite sides kof thedisk and has-connected thereto a rod 20 at eachend.

The rod 2O on the remote side leading tothe shoe 19 of the next disk is plainly indicated inthe -diagrammatic views, the shoe of ,the last combination, may be single endedif desired, but having a similar pin and slot connection with its disk. The purpose of the slot 16 in each disk will now be a parent. In a normal position or with al of the switches closed the shoes 19will all lie in suchv position that their pins 19 will all lie at the rear extremities of the respective slots, being held so by the tension of the spring 24 Vupon the rod 20. In this position operation of any disk will cause positive operation of the. rod 20 and signal rod 23. The shoes 19 and corresponding ins 19 of the unmoved disks, however, wi l operate idly in their respective slots. From the foregoing it will be apparent that it will be impossible for an engineer to run his engine into an openswitch without having been advised lof thel fact that the switch is o en.

As note in the drawingseach disk 16 in addition to its slot 16/ is provided with two holes 162 on each side and a single hole 163 near one end of said slot. When the device Ais used -forone switch only the shoe 19 is connected preferably with the hole 163 instead of with'the slot, and at such time the pitman 18 will be connected with a dierent hole 162 from-that with which it would be connected when theslot is used.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new., is: 4

1. In a deviceoi the ,character set forth, thecombination of a switch operating bar, a cross head secured thereto, a horizontal member rotatable on a vertical pivot, means connected with saidcross head and rotary member to :cause operation of the latter upon movement of the .switch bar and cross head, a signal rod located at a distance from the switch and mounted to .move vertically, and means positively connecting the signal rod with therotary means aforesaid to cause elevation of the signal rod upon movement of the rotary member in one direction.

2. VThe combinationof a switchbanahorizontal rotary disk, means connecting the switch bar and disk to causefrotation of the latter upon longitudinal movement of the switch bar, a bell crank located at a remote point from the switch, a signal rod carried by the bell crank, means connecting the bell crank with the rotary disk so that rotation of the latter in one direction will cause movement of the signal rod in one direction, andaJ spring to return the signal rod to its normal position upon reverse movement of the disk.

3.Y The combination of a switch bar, a cross head secured thereto, adisk journaled for rotation in a horizontal plane, said disk being provided with a slot near its periphery, a pitman connecting the cross head with the disk andcausing operation of the latter whenthe switch bar is moved in either direction, a shoe having pin connection with the disk through the slot, and signaling .means connected forioperation With said shoe.

4. 4In combination with a plurality of independently operable switch bars, a cross head connected to each of said bars, a slotted disk associated with each of said cross heads and a pitman connecting lthe cross head with its corresponding disk, of connecting rod means connected withall of said disks land including a plurality of shoes each having a pin coperating `with its respective slot, and signaling. devices connected for operation through said connecting means by any one of said disks.

5. Ina device of the character set forth, the combination of a switch operating bar, a cross headsecu-red thereto, a horizontal rotary disk, means connected with said'cross head androtary disk to cause operation'of the latterupon movement of the switch .bar and cross head, a pivoted signal rod, means connecting the signal rod and disk to cause the signal rod to swing upward upon movement of the rotary disk in one direction7 and signaling means carried by a locomotive including a bell crank adapted to engage the aforeisaid signal rod When the latter is elevate In. testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of tWo Witnesses.

HENRY DAVIS.

Witnesses:

C. L. SHOREY, JOHN M. Goss. 

